Pink Petal Power
It’s just as well that our theme this month is ‘Two colours or less’or I’d have to contradict my own earlier statement about white not being a colour. :) These delicate beads invite the coming of spring (to my friends in the US) with a very girly, very pink, floral set. We don’t usually see a lot of pink, or flowers, in my beads, so make the most of the feminine touch while its last. Restricting the palette to just a couple of glass colours really strips away the distractions - sometimes it’s easy to go overboard, and not to know where to stop with more complicated designs. It has been a good way to get moving again, after my recent creative slump. I hope you enjoy the results!
‘Red Frenzy’
Our current theme suits me down to the ground. I love nothing more than making masked dot beads, and I generally use 2 colours (white is not a colour - trust me, I’m an Art Teacher 
) I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump lately, and going back to my dot beads is a surefire way to get things moving again. I expect to have a few more sets up this month - 2 colours is a great theme to allow flexibility and variety!
Two Colors can be Radiant
Something about the simplicity of color grabs me. One of the reasons I was drawn to glass beads was seeing simple colored beads and the light dancing about. In this focal a lucious shade of demin blue begs to be seen. All this focal needed was a touch of shimmer to let the color shine.
Susan
Pollock
It may not be best to admit that Pollock is not one of my favorite artists. However, few can capture a sense of motion like Pollock can. I can see a touch of his motion in the silver dots on this bead. As such, this bead is an homage to what I find beautiful in Pollock’s work- the motion.
Motion | Comment (0)
Wheels
Wheels have been the symbol of modern movement for centuries. I hand shaped these wheels to resemble what one may have looked like in stone eons ago. Adding a swirl of ivy green to look as though it hasn’t stopped rotating, these discs resemble movement of all times.
,
Susan
Art, Motion | Comment (0)A Swiftly Tilting Planet
What motion inspires us more that the motion of our own planet?
I am such a fan of the late, great Madeleine L’Engle. She is on my yearly re-read list and this year to was able to share A Wrinkle in Time with my son only a week before she died.
When I made this bead, I wasn’t sure which motion I was going for- but I wanted fluid and subtle colors. That works in how I think of a Swiftly Tilting Planet. This bead has a large amount of movement- but the muted colors may distract you from the motion unless you look for it.
Next I think I may aim for the more obvious motion of our planet- the spin until you are dizzy and lay down on the ground motion.
Motion - Choosing a Theme
I must have motion on the brain.
As I was trying to find a theme for this month, I looked for words and themes that were open to enough interpretation for an entire month of work- but not so open that there would be no ties between the works.
I love the thought of motion. My favorite artworks almost always have a sense of motion- those that don’t tend towards a visible stillness- an obvious lack of motion. The more I thought about this as an idea, the more I liked it- the motion of glass is one of my favorite reasons for working with it. The puffing of a hollow bead, the flowing into a press, the rounding out of a donut bead, the growing shape of a bowl on a blowpipe when I finally get the exact right breath going in - glass has beautiful motion, but motion is not limited to glass.
Just last night I went looking for a painting in my bedroom my two favorites are ones I have seen in the past- a couple walking under a shared umbrella in the rain (lots of motion and light work) and a sleeping horse (lack of motion. I also dreamt of owning a metal working tool used in making some flowing metal scroll work I saw that had such fluid motion it could have been an artists sketch.
Motion - it’s a beautiful thing.
Motion | Comment (0)Elegance
A local butterfly house is having a Christmas celebration with thousands of white butterflies in place of their usual colorful airborne show. They were my inspiration here- the elegant Christmas I love to watch but have far to colorful a house and family to ever participate in. This bead is smaller than my normal and tumble etched so it’s smooth and soft - a gentle bead.
Elegance
on ebay
Reflections of Winter
My parents have a painting I remember being in my Grandparent’s house. It is a picture of white birch trees in the snow with orange sunlight reflecting, illuminating the image. When I see an orange morning sunrise shimmering off the snow, I think of the painting and my family. It is a wonderful warm association to go along with a briskly cold Winter morning.
A simple color can evoke strong feelings for me. When I first starting using this shade of boroscilica color I noticed the moment or so before it gets to its strong purple hue, it is the peachy orange morning sun reflecting off snow. I had to capture it in a bead. Here they are:
Susan
Winter Winds A’Howlin’
I’m from Wisconsin, and live in a very new subdivision. We have no trees in my neighborhood so in winter when the wind howls there is nothing to slow it down. When I hear the wind and see it whipping the snow around the house I like to wrap myself in a warm blanket and drink a cup of tea. Watching the snow blow outside makes me very grateful for my warm house.
These beads were inspired by the snow that blows and swirls about my house. There is just something about the crisp bright blue against the white that makes me think of the snow and reminds me fondly of the winter days when I am warm and snug inside and glad I don’t have to go outside.
Heather blogs from her home in Wisconsin. You can read more of her ramblings here and see more of her work here.
Art, Winter | Comment (0)